For immediate release 29 December 2017

Umalusi approves the 2017 national examinations results

Umalusi, the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and
Training, has once again fulfilled its legislative mandate in relation to the quality
assurance of the management and administration of exit point examinations in the
following qualifications per assessment body:

o Independent Examinations Board (IEB) – NSC AND GETC:ABET

o South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) – NSC

o Benchmark Assessment Agency (BAA) – GETC: ABET

o Department of Basic Education (DBE) – NSC

o Department of Higher Education And Training (DHET) – GETC:ABET;

NATED N2-N3 Programmes; NC(V)

Umalusi conducted the external moderation of question papers and a sample of site-
based assessment (SBA) marks across all assessment bodies. The Council also
monitored the conduct and marking of exams as well as selection of markers in all the
nine Provincial Departments of Education (PDEs) including all private assessment
bodies.

This year the South African Comprehensive Institute (SACAI), which is an independent
assessment body provisionally accredited by Umalusi to administer the National Senior
Certificate examinations, administered its NSC exams for the fourth time. Another new
independent assessment body, Benchmark Assessment Agency (BAA), which is also
in a process of obtaining accreditation from Umalusi, ran a pilot of its third GETC
examinations in November. Benchmark’s results were also subjected to Umalusi’s
standardisation process.

The class of 2017: The class of 2017 was the fourth Grade 12 cohort to write final
examinations under the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS). The learner
performance of the cohort of 2017 has moved closer to the average historical
performance profile. It is pleasing to see that there is a steady upward trend in the
marks of subjects such as Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Science and

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Life Science. However, some of the subjects that do not fall under the category of
gateway subjects such as Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts and Agricultural Science need to
be given more attention and be afforded the status that they deserve in terms of
providing them with the necessary resources, for example, Learning and Teaching
Support Material.

There were 104 001(16%) progressed learners in the Class of 2017. This is slightly down
from the 108 742 of 2016. Umalusi has taken note of the evidence-based reports on
interventions and improvement strategies implemented by both national and
provincial education authorities for learners in general and for progressed learners in
particular and the positive impact of these on the overall assessment system as well
as on teaching and learning. It is important to note that while the class of 2017 is the
10th cohort of learners to sit for the NSC, it is only the 4th cohort to write the CAPS
aligned NSC Examination.

So while the 2017 cohort has benefited from the maturity of the NSC system over the
past 10 years, the CAPS aligned system introduced in 2014 is slowly beginning to
strengthen after only four years. As a result, Umalusi has put in place rigorous and
robust procedures that provide assurance that all learners receive appropriate
recognition for their performance in line with agreed national standards so that no
learner should feel that s/he was born in the wrong year.

Improved quality of question papers: The quality of question papers is a very

important aspect of the integrity and credibility of the examination. It is therefore
pleasing to see a marked improvement in the overall quality of question papers across
the assessment bodies as more papers are approved after first or second submission
to external moderators.

Irregularities: Umalusi conducts not only the process of standardisation, which is

required for national examinations, but it also, through rigorous procedures, assures
the quality and integrity of the entire examination process.

Gaining the approval of Umalusi Council for the release of the results is determined by
the examinations’ level of compliance with policies, directives and guidelines issued
by both Umalusi and each of the assessment bodies. Before such an approval is
granted, Umalusi Council has to satisfy itself that no systemic irregularities have
occurred to undermine the integrity and the credibility of the examination process. To

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this end, Umalusi requires that each assessment body provides a report on
irregularities.

Umalusi is pleased to report that based on the evidence presented to Umalusi by the
Department of Basic Education, the 2017 National Senior Certificate examinations
were largely incident-free with a few minor disruptions experienced in some parts of
the country. This attests to the success of the rigid measures put in place by DBE to
ensure fool-proof and incident-free examinations.

Umalusi commends the Department of Basic Education and Provincial Departments

of Education for working tirelessly to achieve this goal. While irregularities occur in all
examinations/assessments, the South African public can rest assured that the
examination system in South Africa has mechanisms to manage irregularities, to avoid
lapses in the credibility of examinations. However whether an irregularity becomes a
threat to the system depends on the nature and extent of the irregularity.

Standardisation of results: In order to mitigate the sources of variability that impact on

learner performance from one year to another. (eg. cognitive demand and difficulty
levels of questions, marking, curriculum changes, interventions etc.) Standardisation is
employed as an important ‘quality assurance process used the world-over.’

Standardisation aims (in the main) to achieve equivalence of the standard of the
examination across years, subjects and assessment bodies and to deliver a relatively
constant product to the market: universities, colleges and employers.

We can expect that when standards of examinations are equivalent certain statistical
mark distributions should correspond. It is this principle of correspondence that forms
the basis for comparing distributions with norms/historical averages that are
developed over 4-5 years. This comparison includes qualitative data, medians,
means, pass/failure and distinction rates and pairs analyses which play a valuable role
in the absence of historical data.

The adjustments (decided by the Assessment Standards Committee of Umalusi)

consistently follow certain guiding principles. The ASC consists of academics with
extensive experience and expertise in statistical moderation, statistics, assessment,
curriculum and education.

While the final stages of the process (viz. standardisation) may seem highly statistical,
this process of adjustment is the culmination of an eighteen month process of

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receiving and reflecting on qualitative and quantitative inputs. This starts with setting
of papers, then moderation, writing of exams, marking of exams, verification and only
then finally adjustment of mark distributions.

Given the complex nature of the stages and processes followed, it can lead to
misinterpretations especially if one observes any one of the stages in isolation or just
the final one. The whole process of standardization is the basis for Umalusi to declare
exams fair, valid and credible; thereby building public trust and confidence.

STANDARDISATION DECISIONS AND APPROVAL STATEMENTS – NSC EXAMINATIONS

INDEPENDENT EXAMINATIONS BOARD (IEB)

Description 2017
Total enrolment ± 11 473 (FT)
± 687 (PT)
± 12 160 (Total)
Number of subjects presented 61
Raw marks 46
Adjusted (mainly upwards) 5
Adjusted (mainly downwards) 10

Number of subjects standardised: 61

Having studied all the evidence at hand on the management and conduct of the
National Senior Certificate examinations administered by the Independent
Examinations Board (IEB), Umalusi is satisfied that, apart from a few instances of
technical irregularities reported, nothing has compromised the integrity or credibility
of the November 2016 NSC examinations as a whole. We are satisfied that the
examinations were fair, valid and credible.

We commend the IEB for running a successful and credible examinations process.
Accordingly, we hereby approve the release of the results of the National Senior
Certificate Examinations administered by the Independent Examinations Board.

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SOUTH AFRICAN COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT INSTITUTE (SACAI)

Description 2017
Total enrolment ±2 363

Number of subjects presented 27

Raw marks 18

Adjusted (mainly upwards) 7

Adjusted (mainly downwards) 2

Number of subjects standardised: 27

Having studied all the evidence presented and having noted that there were no
systemic irregularities reported, that might have compromised the credibility and
integrity of the November 2017 NSC examinations administered by the South African
Comprehensive Assessment Institute, the Executive Committee of Council approves
the release of SACAI results for the November 2017 NSC examinations.

The Executive Committee of Council commends the South African Comprehensive

Assessment Institute for conducting a successful and credible examination.

DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION (DBE)

Description 2017

Enrolment ±634 527 (FT)

±168 109 (PT)
±802 636 (Total)
Number of subjects presented 58

Raw marks 38
Adjusted (mainly upwards) 16

Adjusted (mainly downwards) 4

Number of subjects standardised 58

Having studied all the evidence presented and having noted that there were no
systemic irregularities reported, that might have compromised the credibility and
integrity of the November 2017 NSC examinations administered by the Department of

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Basic Education, the Executive Committee of Council approves the release of the DBE
results for the November 2017 NSC examinations with the proviso that:

• the results of the candidates implicated in the examination irregularities be

blocked, and be investigated.

• the DBE reports the outcome of the investigations to Umalusi.

The Executive Committee of Council commends the Department of Basic Education

for conducting a successful and credible examination.

STANDARDISATION DECISIONS AND APPROVAL STATEMENTS – NATED and NC(V)

EXAMINATIONS

NATED N2 – N3

Description 2017
Enrolment ±69 018
Number of instructional offerings presented 59
Raw marks 27
Adjusted (mainly upwards) 20
Adjusted (mainly downwards) 12
Number of instructional offerings standardised: 59

BUSINESS LANGUAGES N3

Description 2017

Number of instructional offerings presented 4

Raw marks 0

Adjusted (mainly upwards) 1

Adjusted (mainly downwards) 3

Number of instructional offerings standardised: 4

Having studied all the evidence presented and having noted that apart from the
alleged leakage of five question papers, as well as challenges of non-submission of
ICASS evidence by some centres, there were no systemic irregularities reported that
might have compromised the credibility and integrity of the November 2017 Report
190/191 Engineering Studies N2-N3 examinations administered by the Department of

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Higher Education and Training. Therefore, the Executive Committee of Council
approves the release of the DHET results of the November 2017 Report 190/191
Engineering Studies N2-N3 examinations based on the following provisos:

• The DHET is required to block the results of candidates/ centres and subjects
implicated in irregularities and the results of the implicated centres that did not
submit evidence of ICASS pending the outcome of further DHET investigations.
That said, Umalusi remains concerned about the need to improve the management
of assessments and examinations conducted at private colleges. The Executive
Committee of Council commends the DHET for conducting a successful and credible
examination.

NC (V) LEVEL 2-4

Description 2017
Enrolment ±131 739

Number of subjects presented 259

Raw marks 169

Adjusted (mainly upwards) 36

Adjusted (mainly downwards) 54
Number of subjects standardised: 259

Having studied all the evidence presented and having noted that apart from the
challenges of non-submission of ICASS evidence by some centres, there were no
systemic irregularities reported that might have compromised the credibility and
integrity of the November 2017 NC (V) Level 2-4 examinations administered by the
Department of Higher Education and Training. Therefore, the Executive Committee
of Council approves the release of the DHET results of the November 2017 NC(V)
Level 2-4 examinations based on the following provisos:

Pending the outcome of further DHET investigations, the DHET is required to:

• Block the results of candidates implicated in irregularities and

• Block the subject results of the centres that did not submit evidence of ICASS.
The Executive Committee of Council commends the DHET for conducting a
successful and credible examination.

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 Lucky Ditaunyane
Senior Manager: PR and Communications
083 227 6074

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